Amethyst
by Monochromatic Sakura
Summary: Skull is actually a broken child soldier, and tries to do all he can for his precious Arcobaleno before his time runs out. A Skull-is-Harry fic. Inspired by Tempestas D. Uzu's Bonds Of A Soldier! Rewritten version of Facing Your Demons!
1. Yī

**Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn, and Harry Potter; the honour belongs to Amano** **Akira-san and Ms. JK Rowling respectively.**

 **Chapter One: Yī***

* * *

After Byakuran had been defeated, the world had reset itself, and everything seemed fine again. The war was over, the Arcobaleno had their old bodies back, and everyone had their happy ending.

But no one is without secrets, and even as we try to bury them, hide them, what happens when the demons of our pasts come out to play?

 _A crying boy with braided black hair sits in the middle of a sandpit of a playground, sobbing at the insults and sharp items others his age thro w at him._

" _You're so useless, you can't even throw a punch correctly!" A sneer. Cruel laughter._

 _ **(WhywhywhywhatdidIdotoyouI'msorrypleaseleavemealone)**_

 _Rocks causes bruises and small cuts to appear on his skin. The children around the boy delight in the fear in his black eyes._

" _Yeah, what boy puts their hair in a braid, anyway?"_

" _A freak!"_

 _Sticks scratches his fragile skin, leaving small trails of blood._

 _ **(Sticks and stones may break my bones, but...)**_

" _Freak-Fon!"_

" _No one wants you!"_

" _So go die!"_

 _ **(But what? Why can't I remember?)**_

 _"Yeah, die and be gone from our lives!"_

 _Fon knows, he knows that the pathetic young boy cowering in the middle of the sandpit is long gone, but he can't help but think,_

What if they were right?

 _Before he could drown (in what? In regrets, in broken promises and fractured dreams that-), he was—thankfully— yanked out of his dream, vaguely registering someone calling his name._

* * *

Skull de Mort is a wizard.

To be more specific, a wizard named Harry Potter.

He hasn't heard that name in a long time, though. Not since the War, at least. Come to think of it, when was the last time someone had called his name - his _true_ name?

God, he misses Mione and Ron.

Skull blinks sluggishly, eyes fixed on the ceiling. He directs his gaze to the glaring, red numbers on his alarm clock. _3:42 AM._

 _...I should probably sleep._

And then he hears a whimper, a whimper he probably wouldn't have heard if it wasn't for his exceptional hearing (honed to perfection during the War).

A minute passes, before Skull finally dismisses it as a figment of his imagination.

 _ ***Whimper***_

"Ah, fuck it."

* * *

"-on! Fon! Wake up!"

 _什么？_

Yanked out of his nightmare ('nightmare'), Fon sees a purple figure shaking him firmly. At first, he immediately tenses, preparing himself for a fight, but then he focuses and sees that the purple figure is just Skull.

(Come to think of it, when was it when he stopped registering Skull as a threat?)

"S-Skull?" What is he doing beside him? A part of him vaguely registers that his voice sounds gravelly.

"Yeah. Bad dream?" Skull seems uncharacteristically concerned, but Fon is glad that the purple-haired stuntman forgoes silly phrases like 'are you okay?', because he is definitely _not_ 'okay', and he doubts that he looks too well, either.

"…Yeah. It's fine, Skull.", he replies, running a calloused hand through his loose braid. "Why don't you go back to sleep?"

Skull scrutinizes the martial artist. Fon is certainly not fine, if the wild look in the usually controlled male's eyes that hadn't quite gone away (the same look in the eyes that stare back at him in the mirror), and said male's disheveled appearance means anything. He mentally sighs. The Arcobaleno Curse had not gone away quietly.

"…"

Fon is tempted to break the silence, and is about to, when Skull speaks up again.

"I don't think so, Fon. I've seen a fair share of 'fine' in my life, but trust me - you don't look 'fine'." The Storm Arcobaleno can practically hear the quotation marks around the last word.

"Will you tell me what's wrong?" Fon still refuses to speak, fearing that the purple-haired male will laugh at him if he does so (and shatter you, break you, a voice at the from the darkest parts of his mind whispers, because _hell,_ doesn't Skull's opinion matter to him the most?).

"…Nothing. There's really nothing wrong, Skull."

Silence. And then...

"You're lying."

Fon stiffens. Skull sighs again, sitting down on the martial artist's crimson bed (because he was standing up all the while, and while he really wants to help his roommate, he is _sleepy_ ), and stares into his shocked eyes.

"Come on, mate. Don't lie. Tell me what's wrong?"

Nothing. But Skull knows that he is so _close_ (he hates that he knows in the first place, having too, _too_ much experience with traumatized victims after the War), so he continues to maintain eye contact with his fellow member, not wishing to read into his mind, because he understands the need for privacy more than anything.

"...I..." Skull lets him speak, already tasting victory.

"I…" so Fon talks, he spills his innermost fears to the stuntman, the person he trusts the most, yet, at the moment, fears the most. About how he doesn't want to be useless, or a freak, or a liability, about the hurtful barbs, both mental and physical, that the children of his time threw at him, about every insecurity that is eating him up inside.

After he is done, he looks away, unable to make himself bear to see the cruel smirk he knows that is on Skull's face, unable to make himself bear to see him leave him, all alone, just like everyone else did.

(And the worst part is, Fon would always forgive him.)

Yet Skull does exactly the opposite of what he thinks he will do.

Purple eyes immediately soften, and Fon's own widen as slender arms wrap around him.

"Oh, Fon, how could you think that?"

He can only whisper, feeling his throat constrict and his eyes burn, "You…you don't think I'm..." _weak?_

"Of course I don't!" The emotions in the stuntman's eyes are conflicting. There was anger (but not at him, he realizes with a jerk), sorrow, and oh god, was that _understanding_?

"You", Skull cups the dark haired male's face with his hands, "are _not_ a freak, do you hear me? You are kind, skilled, a kick-ass (the martial artist's lips twitches upward slightly at that) martial artist, and a whole lot of other things!"

Taking a deep breath, he continues, oblivious to the way Fon hangs onto every word.

"The others may not show it, but they love you. I love you. Friends help each other, and I am _never_ going to abandon you, okay? I'll stay by your side 'til you don't need me anymore, 'cause I'm the great Skull-sama who Death hates, yeah?" he grins roguishly, slapping his fellow Arcobaleno on the back in a show of camaraderie.

Fon doesn't say anything for a while, head lowered and bangs suspiciously covering his expression, but -

"Okay." Skull smiles softly (and is it Fon's fault for wanting that smile to be for him, only for him?).

"Go to sleep, Fon," he says. "You'll still see me in the morning."

So slowly, Fon sleeps, exhausted, leaving Skull alone in the dark night to think. Soon, he too, falls asleep, a small smile on his face.

 **(...But words will never break me.)**

* * *

 ***: Yī is the number one in Chinese.**

 **Questions, comments, answers. They're all accepted!**

 **(Edited: March 8, 2016)**


	2. Due

**Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn and Harry Potter; the honour goes to Amano Akira-san and Ms. JK Rowling respectively.**

 **Chapter Two**

* * *

 **Due**

* * *

"…Ngnh?"

Skull blearily opens his eyes, turning his head. Yawning, he rubs the crust out of his lidded eyes.

 _Ah,_ He thinks, taking in the red bedsheets and martial arts posters, _a_ _h, this is Fon's bed…_

 _…_

 _Wait, FON'S bed?_

Then, when he thinks he couldn't hyperventilate more, he notices the tanned arm snaked around his waist, and the face nuzzled in the crook of his neck.

 _HIEEEE -_

Taking a deep breath, Skull quickly wiggles away from Fon, ignoring the engine-red blush taking over his face. Carefully, he steps over the martial artist, and tiptoes out of the room, only stopping to write a short note to notify him of his whereabouts.

 _At least he doesn't snore like Dudley._

 _Fong,_

 _Just out to get something to drink. Be back soon!_

 _-Skull_

He doesn't notice the dark, lustful gaze trained on him.

* * *

Skull nearly has a heart attack when he comes across Reborn in the kitchen.

"Lackey," Reborn greeted absentmindedly, face hidden behind the newspaper that was always left behind by Verde, who always got up at obscenely early hours to start working on his experiments.

"S-senpai! What are you doing _here?_ "

 ***Whack** *****

"Owww..."

"Don't question me, idiot Lackey," comes Reborn's menacing reply, rolled up newspaper in one hand. "Besides, I should be the one asking you that."

He clearly wants an answer, so Skull just explains about his want of a drink, slightly weirded out by the other's question.

At this, Reborn scoffs, sitting back down at the dining table and unfurling the newspaper.

"Make me an espresso."

Skull twitches, about to protest, but the dark glare shot at him makes him quickly dash over to the coffee machine.

* * *

Reborn grimaces behind his newspaper, an uncharacteristically weary expression flickering across his face. _Yet another sleepless night._ Twitching when a light _thud_ is heard, he looks up.

"Here."

He sips at his espresso, grunting. "Passable."

" _Just_ passable?"

Reborn lowers his newspaper to snap something back at the Lackey, but he closes his mouth at the raised eyebrow the other is giving him.

"What?"

"No offense, senpai, but you look like shit."

His hand, still holding the newspaper, spasms for a split second. _Fuck. Tell me he didn't see that._

"I saw that."

 _Shit._

"Look, Lackey," he growls, setting the newspaper against the table, unwilling to tear it in his anger, "how I look is _none of your business._ "

The Lackey raises his hands in a show of surrender, chucking nervously. "Alright, alright." He stands to leave, hands wrapping around his mug.

He stops at the door.

"Senpai..."

"What is it _now?"_

"If there is anything, _anything_ wrong, you know you can come to me, yeah?" He is facing Reborn now, nervously wringing one hand, and he wants to scoff. So even the Lackey knows how to fish for information, huh?

But then he looks into the Lackey's eyes, and he _sees._

And for the first time in a long, long while, all he can see is red.

* * *

Skull gasps when Reborn suddenly appears in front of him, slamming two hands on the wall on either sides of his head, effectively trapping him.

 _What is he...!_

"What is your purpose, Lackey."

 _Oh._

"Is it so hard to believe that someone cares for you, senpai?" hurriedly, he slips his wand back up his sleeve.

Reborn snarls at him, uncovered obsidian eyes glaring at him. With rage, with hate, with anger.

With desperation.

"Stop lying, Lackey."

"I am not."

" _Liar!"_ he roars, and the first thing Skull thinks, aside from the relief that Fon is a heavy sleeper, is

 _What a broken, broken person._

"What is wrong with caring for someone precious to you?"

He stiffens when Reborn's hands ball into fists, creating spider-web cracks in the wall. _Mammon's going to throw a fit when he sees this._

"Are you kidding? How would _I_ be precious to _you?_ "

Cocking his head in confusion and surprise, Skull blurts out, "Why _wouldn't_ you be?"

This time, it is Reborn's turn to stiffen.

"It's alright if you don't want to talk about what's bothering you," Skull soothes, misinterpreting Reborn's action, "but all I'm saying is, if you ever want to rant about something, I'll be here." he grins weakly. _So please don't kill me._

Reborn's hands lower from their position, and for the first time, Skull sees nothing but confusion in the other's eyes.

"... _Why?"_

 _"Because we're family, mate, why else?"_

"...Because we're family, senpai."

Slowly, Reborn pulls his fedora back down, shadowing his eyes. Refusing to look Skull in the eye, he walks back to the table, collecting his mug. Skull furrows his eyebrows. He didn't say anything wrong, did he?

Unsure what to do, he carefully steps out the door.

"See you, Lackey."

And Skull smiles so wide, his cheeks hurt.

"See ya, senpai."

* * *

And long after Skull's footsteps fade into the distance, and his espresso is no longer warm to the touch, Reborn blinks slowly, a faint tinge of pink on his face.

 _God, that smile..._

* * *

 ** _*: "Due" is "two" in italian._**

* * *

 **I admit, this wasn't what I had in mind when I started to rewrite this story: it's totally different from what I originally wrote. Hope you find this alright, as well.**

 **Questions, comments, answers. They're all accepted!**

 **(Edited: March 9, 2016)**


	3. Tres

**Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn and Harry Potter; the honour belongs to Amano Akira-san and Ms. JK Rowling respectively.**

* * *

 **Chapter Three: Tres***

* * *

Skull knows something is going to happen; he can feel it in the air. The only question is: what is it?

He gets his answer that night in the form of a drunken Colonello.

* * *

Skull sighs, putting on his helmet as he readies himself to go out. Everyone else had gone out for the night, no longer bothering to eat dinner together, as Luce was the only reason they had done so. He is drawn out of his thoughts when something cold tugs at his jeans. He looks down.

"Yeah, Oodako?" His pet octopus lets out a whining sound, as if wanting attention. Again, Skull is struck with the similarities between Oodako and his beloved owl he had been forced to release, Hedwig. They both knew when he was upset and when they did, they tried their hardest to cheer him up. He grins.

"I'm fine, Oodako. Now, wanna go? The great Skull-sama needs to show off his amazing skills!" With that, he scoops up his octopus, strides to the entrance hall, puts his hand on the doorknob...

And nearly gets a facefull of door.

The door bangs open, nearly ripping the door off its hinges, and Skull leaps backwards, inwardly groaning.

 _Mammon is going to_ _ **kill**_ _me for this!_

"Who's there?!" The stuntman barks, slipping into a defense position, but falters slightly in confusion when he spots the person at the door.

It is Colonello, smelling strongly of alcohol.

"Senpai?" Skull whispers. He had never seen Colonello that drunk before. What on earth had happened?

"L-Lackey, kora?" The blond slurs., clearly not in a proper state of mind. Skull snaps himself out of his shocked daze.

"Hey, er...are you feeling okay? 'Cause you don't look really…great at the moment." Colonello stares at the purple-haired male, as if _he_ was the one extremely drunk.

* * *

" _Hey, you see these stars?"_

* * *

"Of course 'm okay, kora! Never felt 'appier!" And Skull immediately knows that something is horribly wrong.

Colonello _never_ stays awake after binge drinking (which he had clearly done) unless something extremely heavy is on his mind. The last time he had done so was right after they had been Cursed, and even then, he hadn't stayed awake for very long. The nearest bar was miles away - considering they live almost literally in the middle of nowhere -, and for Colonello to stay awake all this while?

Something very, _very_ bad must have happened.

Something about the blonde's expression is off, too, Skull thinks, like he's stuck between wanting to laugh and cry at the same time. Skull wonders what exactly had happened, because, contrary to his actions, Colonello doesn't get very emotional easily.

"Sure," He says cautiously, not wanting to antagonize the drunken male like he often does with Reborn. An angered Colonello was bad. A _drunken_ , angered Colonello was even worse. He waits for the blond to collapse on the couch, and when he heard snoring, quietly tiptoeed away. Colonello is strong enough (no matter how much Skull wants to deny it) to deal with his own problems, after all, he decides.

Or at least, that was what he was planning to do.

* * *

" _They'll never change."_

* * *

* **Mutter** *

Skull spins around, not sure if he is hearing things.

"Er, did you say something, Senpai?" He asks tentatively. Colonello looks up blearily, eyes glazed over from the alcohol.

"I said I 'ate this, kora." Skull stares (again, he mentally sighs. Hermione would have whacked him over the head for being so rude…) at the uncharacteristic scowl on Colonello's handsome face.

"...Senpai, what do you hate?" Skull is glad that the sniper is currently drunk, as he knows that a sober Colonello would have angrily brushed him off. _After all,_ he muses, _the Arcobaleno are team in everything but spirit._

Life is funny that way.

Colonello glances at the stuntman, as if he is thinking whether to tell him or not. Apparently, he is deemed trust-worthy, as the sniper begins to talk.

"'M life." At Skull's shocked look, he elaborates.

* * *

" _So, if you have trouble with who you are at the moment,"_

* * *

"I 'ean, how can you 'tand this, 'ora?!" He stands up angrily, ignoring Skull's concerned look his way when he almost loses his balance. "Ev'rything's changed! When I got 'urned into a 'aby, I thought, _well, okay,_ 'cause I'd proba'ly be a 'aby 'or the 'est of my life, but then 'm suddenly an 'dult 'gain! What 'o I do now?! 'm 'eep finding 'yself 'eaching for stools to get to the _sink_ , and 'ind 'yself doing 'hings I 'ould have done 'efore! I…" The disheveled blond whispered brokenly, eyes watering. "I…don't 'now what to do 'ow…"

Skull knows what Colonello is talking about. He had felt the same sense of vertigo the day they were given back their old bodies, after all. He had taken it all in stride, only because he is used to bizarre situations, thanks to his time in the Wizarding World. He guesses that the only reason the others seem to be taking it pretty well too is due to the fact that they hide their emotions better. Colonello has never had a reason to hide his emotions, so he does the only thing someone in his position can do: isolate himself until he could laugh again.

Obviously, he is failing. Spectacularly. Skull hesitates for a while, wondering what to say. Then he remembers something, and puts on his best smile, which isn't very good at all.

* * *

" _Look up at the night sky."_

* * *

"Hey." Colonello turns to look at him, still standing, mind too clouded with the effects of the alcohol to even wonder why Skull was so quiet.

"Come here." Skull takes the ex-COMBUSIN member by the hand, leading him to the roof, not noticing the shock, nor the blush, that erupts on the blond's face.

Once they get there, Skull lets go of Colonell's hand, and points upwards at the clear night sky, where uncountable stars brightly twinkle.

* * *

" _And if you still have problems,"_

* * *

"You see these stars?" Colonello nods, slightly confused. Skull smiled softly.

"They'll always stay the same, no matter what." He said. "So if you ever have problems like tonight again, all you have to do is look up at the night sky. And if you can't, just look for me. I'll be your anchor in this ever-changing world, because I'll never change. I promise, okay?"

Colonello gazes at the stars, then at Skull. He smiles, taking note of the shocked expression on the stuntman's face.

"Thanks, 'kull." Skull sighs exasperatedly, not noticing the use of his name.

"Silly, you'll won't even remember this in the morning. You're terribly drunk, you know?" But Colonello won't. He won't ever forget tonight. Even if he was old and senile and had most of his memory missing, he will never forget this day.

Never.

* * *

" _Look for me."_

* * *

"Now, let's go!" He hears Skull say. "It's freezing out here!" Colonello chuckles drunkenly. "Yeah… 'm cold…" He passes out soon after, but not before feeling warm arms catch him, and a fond "Silly…"

Skull smiles, goes back downstairs to grab a few thick blankets and pillows, and comes back up to cover Colonello and himself with the blankets. Laying his head on his pillow, he glances at the snoring blond, then gazes up at the sky.

* * *

" _I'll be your anchor, because I'll never change. I'll always be with you."_

* * *

"You're such a liar, George…", Skull murmurs brokenly, mouth curving into a sad smile.

* * *

" _I promise."_

* * *

 _ ***: Tres is 'three' in Spanish.**_

* * *

 _ **Writing drunken speech is harder than I thought.**_

 _ **I didn't have to change anything drastic here, but I still had to change quite a bit, hence the wait.**_

 _ **Questions, comments, answers. They're all accepted!**_


	4. Quatre

**Disclaimer:** **I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! or Harry Potter; the honour belongs to Amano Akira-san and Ms JK Rowling respectively.**

 **(PS: Erm, check out my new stories please. That is, if you _want_ to. ;))**

* * *

 **Chapter Four: Quatre***

* * *

"Nngh…" Colonello opens his eyes, and blearily looks around. His instincts tell him it is about one in the morning, and he is on a roof.

Wait.

Why is he on a roof?

Before he can reach for his gun, the memories of last night come rushing back to him. He blushes, recalling Skull's words. How could the guy say such sappy things with a straight face?!

And speaking of Skull, where is he? Colonello peers around for him, to no avail. He then looks down, and spots a thick blanket covering him. He also feels a pillow against his head. He blushes again (dammit, why is he acting like a fucking schoolgirl with a fucking crush?!), but shakes his head, getting rid of some of his…wayward thoughts, and goes back down, pillow and blanket in hand.

* * *

"Yo, Skull, kora!" Was the first thing Colonello says a few minutes later, when he spots Skull cooking.

"O-oh, er... Hi, Senpai…" The blond frowns. He knows he sounds out of character, but that was because he wants to be friends with Skull ( _and maybe more…_ A traitorous part of his mind whispers, but he shoves it away, because he _likes girls,_ _kora!_ )

"Hey, what's up with you? Is it because of last night…?" He trails off, seeing Skull tense at his question. The stuntman hastily piles omeletes onto two plates, takes one, and then dashes away, bangs covering his eyes. Colonello's eyes widen, but Skull is already gone, and he is left stretching his hand forward like an idiot.

He looks at the plate of food on the dining table. _Is this...for me?_ Seeing as there is no one else in the mansion, he slowly sits down, grabs a fork, and starts digging in. His eyes widen again.

" _It's good..._ "

* * *

Skull dashes down the hallways to his room, only stopping once he closes the door. He flushes in embarrassment. He must have looked like such an idiot in front of Colonello! _It couldn't be helped,_ he tells himself, _everything would have been awkward, anyway._ Satisfied, he takes his fork and knife, and starts eating. _Yeah...it would've been awkward..._

* * *

Skull awakes to the sound of retching. He shoots up, wondering what the emergency is. Intruders are a no-go, as no member of the Mafia is stupid enough to make any sound while sneaking in enemy territory, never mind the _Arcobaleno Mansion._

So that leaves the Arcobaleno themselves. He gets up, and pads quietly down the hall, following the horrible sounds. He pauses in front of a bathroom door, which seems to be the origin of the sound. He knocks.

"Hey, anybody in there?" The retching stops for a while.

"…Lackey." The tone was flat, thinly veiling the undercurrent of irritation underneath.

"Erm…hey, Lal-Senpai…" Skull mutters nervously. He expects the CEDEF member to open the door to whack him on the head, or at least yell at him through the door, but there is only silence. The stuntman freaks out, knowing that Lal definitely would have said something by now.

"L-Lal-Senpai? Senpai?!" Still nothing. When he hears a heavy _thud_ , Skull barges into the bathroom, thankful that Colonello is out. Even if Lal _is_ in danger, his magic can take care of the problem easily enough, and he is sure that the strict, no-nonsense soldier wouldn't appreciate the blond fretting over her like a mother hen. Hermione is like her in that sense as well, Skull vaguely muses, but banishes the thought as soon as he sees Lal lying on the ground, coughing up blood.

"!"

* * *

Lal convulses on the floor, one hand gripping the sink in a unsuccessful attempt to stay upright. The other is cupped around her mouth, blood tricking out in between the cracks of her fingers. She raises her head to glare at him.

"S-Stupid Lackey…" Another harsh cough soon follows the unfinished sentence, however, causing more blood to trickle out. Skull stares, horrified.

"Senpai!" He props her up with one hand, grabs a handful of tissues, and wipes the fluid dribbling out of the blue-haired woman's mouth.

"Senpai, are you okay? I think you're sick. We should go get a doctor!" Lal glares at him again, the message of _Yes, Captain Obvious,_ easily conveyed. This time, however, Skull does not relent, meeting her gaze. She sighs.

"Go— ***cough*** away, Lackey. It— ***cough*** can't be cured, * **cough** * anyway…" A series of coughs wracks her frame, scaring Skull even more.

"Senpai, what do you mean?! It shouldn't be…"

Skull's eyes widen as he takes in the symptoms. The blood, loss of weight (only now he realizes the ribs showing, stretched against the skin, and he wonders what was wrong with him, to not notice his colleague—no, _family's_ problems) coughs…

"…Oh." He whispers. Lal looks at him for a moment, then sighs, an uncharacteristic weariness overtaking her features.

"Yes, Lackey ***cough*** , _oh_."

Skull wants to cry.

Tuberculosis.

 _How did he not know?!_ But Skull already knows the answer.

It is because Lal is too proud. Too, too proud. She must have hidden all the symptoms of her illness, simply because she didn't want anyone to pity her. He knows that feeling all too well, like that time when Sirius died, and everyone was just giving him those damn pitying looks. And then right after that, he had to be sent back to the Durselys, to the slurs, the beatings…

Skull mentally shakes himself, getting rid of his dark thoughts. He is jolted back to reality by Lal's harsh bark.

"Lackey! Don't start to cry or do something pathetically weak just because I'm dying! You useless Lackey! I can't be cured by any normal means, anyway! Just go away! I might infect you!" However, Skull blankly stares at the CEDEF member, the seeds of an idea taking root.

 _Any_ _ **normal**_ _methods…_

"Senpai," He slowly says, "I am going to try something." But before the blue-haired woman can say anything, he continues.

"This will hurt." Lal nods slowly, confused but resigned. Why couldn't he see that she can't be cured?

And then he whips out a bottle of _something_ , fumbles with the cap, forces her mouth open, and pours its meager contents down her throat. She vaguely registers that the 'Longbottom's Cure-All Medicine' is printed on the label in large, black font. But that thought is banished when she smells the mixture.

God, it tastes _terrible_ , but Skull (she is so going to throttle the Lackey after this) clamps her mouth down and holds her nose, so she has no choice but to swallow.

She immediately regrets it.

Pain flares through her body, making her scream for the first time in many, many years. The pain is worse, much worse than any torture she has ever gone through, as she feels like her blood and bones are set on fire. How could she have been so foolish to trust the Lackey? But when she chances a glance at the purple-haired male, his expression is one of anguish, like he hates the fact that she is in pain. If Lal could, she would have frowned. Why would he feel that? Her thoughts are disrupted, though, when a new wave of pain washes over her, making her scream again.

Then, all of a sudden, the pain stops. She lies on the ground, panting, about to whip out her shotgun, when she realizes that she isn't hurting anymore. The lingering pain that she had ever since she was diagnosed with Tuberculosis is gone. She snarls at the Lackey, more than a little confused.

"What— ***pant*** did you do— ***pant*** to me?" The Lacke—no, Skull, he probably saved her life, after all—grins, ignoring her demand.

"It worked!" He yells. "It worked!" he hugs Lal, whispering:

"Thank goodness you're alive…" Lal stiffens, then relaxes into the embrace, saying nothing when she feels something wet soak her shoulder (seriously, and he is supposed to be comforting _her_...).

Skull does not know this, but she hasn't been shown any sort of affection for a long, long time. She'd distanced herself all her life, especially when she had been diagnosed with her illness (which is cured, and oh Lord, she still can't wrap her mind around that fact), and got turned into a baby. She actually didn't want to die, not at all, but she hid the overwhelming fear behind a strong mask. SHe is a coward, and she tells him this, but Skull says disbelievingly:

"Seriously? You're one if the bravest people I've ever met!" At Lal's skeptical expression, the purple-haired male continues. "No, it's true! I'd break down a long time before you if I was in your place. You are brave. You are. There's no denying it. So don't look so sad," At this, Lal starts, and Skull beams. "It doesn't fit you." Silence.

"Thank you…" She whispers, feeling tears prickle at her eyes. She feels Skull smile.

"Anything for my family." Lal stiffens again.

 _Family?_

With a jolt, Lal finally realizes that she is accepted. Accepted for who she is, not her actions, because 'family' is a heavy word in the Mafia, and damn her if she's going to throw this chance away. Her body shakes, hiding her crying, prideful to the very end. Skull, seeing this, starts to panic, terrified with the possibility that he had done something wrong.

"A-Ah, Senpai! Are you okay? Please stop crying! Did I do something wrong? Do you need something? …Please stop crying!" The usually stern woman laughs, effectively cutting off the stuntman's rambling.

"Stupid Lackey." She says, but Skull smiles warmly, stunnning Lal with it's radience.

"Yeah."

And she falls in love, hard.

* * *

Lal wakes up in her bed at around five o' clock in the morning, staring at the ceiling. She catches a pleasant mix of cinnamon and warm chocolate and sugar, and when she turns her head, she sees Skull. Skull, who is sleeping next to her bed, arms folded, as if guarding her.

Lal jolts, waking Skull up. He rubs his eyes sleepily, but when he catches sight of her, he brightens up. "Lal-Senpai! How are you feeling?" Lal turns her head away, muttering "Fine." Skull, if possible, seems to smile even wider than this. "Thank goodness!"

They talk for an hour, when finally, she says: "Wait." At his questioning glance, she flushes slightly, and mumbles "You...you don't have to call me 'Senpai'. Just 'Lal' will do." Skull grins, nodding.

"Sure...Lal." Lal blushes. "Yeah."

And as they talk, Fon stands outside their door, an uncharacteristic scowl on his face.

* * *

 ***: Quatre is 'four' in French.**

* * *

 **As readers of FYD can see, I made it so that Skull doesn't Obliviate everyone after helping them, because it seemed quite forced to me. You like? :)  
**

 **Did I succeed in not writing Lal as a schoolgirl in a Shoujo manga?**

 **Questions, comments, answers. They're all accepted!**


	5. Cinci

**Disclaimer** **:** **I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! or Harry Potter; the honour goes to Amano Akira-san and Ms JK Rowling respectively.**

 **Chapter 5**

* * *

 **Cinci***

* * *

Moments after Skull leaves Lal's room, Fon silently enters, face devoid of his usual serene smile. He cocks his head to the side, studying Lal with an eerily Verde-sque gaze.

"What is it that makes you so special?" He asks her, knowing full well that she wouldn't answer. "Why does Skull love you so much?"

A calloused hand reaches out to play with silky blue hair, caught in a deceptively gentle grip. "He should only love _me_."

A few seconds pass before Fon sighs, unclenches his hand, and turns to walk out of the room.

"Never mind."

Just moments after the door closes, Lal opens her eyes.

"...Hm."

* * *

"Verde?" The scientist acknowledges Skull with a bored glance, scowling at the tray in the younger male's hands.

"Moronic subject." He shoots the younger male a dark glare. Skull ignores it, instead giving Verde a pointed look.

"Skull-sama says you need to eat." He says, plopping the tray onto the scientist's desk, mindful of the scattered documents and test tubes (and Keiman, who currently was sleeping peacefully) on the disorganized wood. A scowl is once again shot his way.

"I need to complete this." Verde states curtly. Skull exhales heavily in response, running a hand through his purple hair. "You won't be saying that when you drop dead from starvation." He mutters, but Verde hears him anyway, and scowls again.

"I won't." Skull's eyebrow twitches once, and he growls softly, snatching up one of the blueprints on the desk.

"What's this, anyway? Just seems like a load of shit to me!" A few seconds later, his eyes widen, but a pale hand forcefully yanks the paper out of his hold, and Verde snarls angrily.

"Don't do that!"

However, Skull is undeterred, and he reaches out (ignoring Verde's violent protests) and points to a spot on the blueprint. "You know that if you put that part there, the robot'll explode, right?"

Raising an eyebrow, Verde follows Skull's finger, and this time, his eyes widen, going over calculations over and over again.

 _That's true!_ He quickly turns around, but Skull is already gone, leaving a note fluttering to the ground in his wake.

Verde picks it up.

 _Eat, man, eat! Ya gonna become a skeleton at this rate! X(_

Snorting, he crumples the paper and tosses it in the trash can, going back to his papers. The food could wait. He was _right on the verge_ of completing this project!

 _But…_ He glances back at the tray. Then the trash can. The tray. The trash can.

He sighs, and takes the fork.

 _The things I do for that Lackey…_

* * *

Colonello thinks that something is wrong when he comes home and Fon doesn't greet him. He suspects that something is wrong when Lichi is strangely absent from its spot on the Hibari's shoulder.

But he _knows_ something is definitely wrong when instead of a smile, a deep scowl is painted on the man's face.

 _A tactical retreat is in order._ He thinks, ignoring Falco's smirk. _Yes, it's definitely in order._

He runs like hell.

* * *

"Ugh…" Skull groans, staring at the stacks of paperwork in front of him. "Can't I just pay back your money later, Mammon? It's midnight already!"

A soft snort is heard. "You don't even _have_ any money, Lackey."

"I _so_ do!."

As Skull painstakingly works his way through the papers, he quickly gets the feeling of being watched. Turning his head to the right, sweat slides down his cheek as he sees Mammon boring holes into him with his eyes.

"I know the great Skull-sama is handsome, but you don't need to stare at me like tha—YEOW!" He cradles his sore head, whimpering softly.

"You? Handsome? I've seen homeless people with better looks than you." Skull's eyes water comically in response, "Wahhh, so crueeeel…" A few moments of silence pass, and Skull returns to his papers. Mammon, however, simply continues staring at him.

 _Oh god, this is so awkward._ Skull glances discreetly to the right, and inwardly blanches when he finds Mammon's gaze trained on his. _Gah!_

"Lackey, you shouldn't be leaving your belongings lying around." _Uh, come again?_ He looks up, and does a double-take when he sees his dream journal held in Mammon's hand.

"W-Where did you get _that?_ That's Skull-sama's, you know. Give it back!" The older man smirks.

"Finish those papers first." Skull folds his arms, scowling. "Tch, I figured…" He then looks up.

"Just don't read it. The great Skull-sama's journals are too great for yo—OW! Stop _doing_ that!"

"I will, if you pay me."

"How much?"

"Five billion yen."

"...Forget it."

Hours later, when Skull leaves the room, complaining all the while, Mammon diverts his attention to the plain blue notebook in his hand. _Dream journal, huh…_ He opens the book. "What the Lackey doesn't know won't hurt him."

* * *

Half an hour later, Mammon hastily picks up the journal and leaves his room. _I need to find Verde._

* * *

 _ ***: Cinci is 'five' in Romanian.**_

* * *

 **Oh ho, cliffhanger! Or not. It's for you to decide, really. You like?**

 **Questions, comments, answers they're all accepted!**


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